Manresa's return sparks USD's 78-72 win over Tulane

When senior center Chris Manresa was hurting with a sore back and not playing, USD head coach Bill Grier told his team that it wasn’t like the big man was going to pop back in with a red cape and turn around the team’s fortunes.

Manresa, a 6-foot-9, 245-pound senior from Rancho Santa Margarita, didn’t sport the red cape or the bright red S on his chest for Saturday’s big game with Tulane at Jenny Craig Pavilion. But he did get two key defensive rebounds in the last 36 seconds and sink two free throws to give the Toreros a 77-68 lead with 33 seconds to play . USD went on to beat the Green Wave 78-72. And considering Manresa had only played in two of the Toreros’ first nine games, the effort was super enough.

“With Chris back in the lineup we had a presence in the paint we haven’t had,” said Grier, adding that Manresa seems to give the other inside guys more confidence on the floor. “He’s not in great shape, but he’s battling much, much better than he ever has in his career.”

Manresa entered the game with just 15 points and five rebounds on the season, but he had 10 points and led the Toreros with six rebounds. His inside force complemented the play of guard Johnny Dee, who had a game-high 23 points, and hard-working forward Ken Rancifer, who chipped in a season-high 16 points, including three 3-pointers. The Toreros were out-rebounded 34-27, but they shot 51 percent from the field and made 17 of 21 free throws (81 percent) while turning it over just six times, a season-low.

“That’s two games in a row now that we’ve played with a semblance of toughness that we’ve been lacking,” Grier said. “It’s amazing how taking care of the ball can help you when you’re shooting 51 percent. A lot of our problems early stemmed from turnovers, impatience on offense and rebounding.”

“He’s been really working a lot harder on his game than he ever has,” Grier said. “He’s been in the gym the last couple of nights taking shots. You can tell he had a lot more confidence in his shot tonight.”

Tulane was paced by forward Josh Davis, who had 19 points and eight rebounds as the Green Flash went to 7-2. USD improved to 5-5 on the season. The Toreros play Arizona Christian Tuesday night at 7 at the Jenny Craig Pavilion and then go to Montezuma Mesa Saturday to play cross-town rival San Diego State at 7 at Viejas Arena.